Lack of exercise fuels growing health risks in Nigeria – Ogunwale

With physical inactivity increasing the risk of chronic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, fitness experts have urged Nigerians to take personal responsibility for their health by making regular exercise a lifestyle.

Founder and chief executive officer of i-Fitness, Mr. Foluso Ogunwale, at the second edition of the i-Fitness Game Fest, in Lagos recently, said good health and physical fitness were responsibilities individuals could not delegate, regardless of their wealth, professional status or busy schedules.

He said lack of exercise fuels growing health risks in Nigeria, adding that the initiative was designed to make fitness more accessible and enjoyable and encourage Nigerians to embrace physical activity beyond conventional gym routines.

According to him, the competition brought together members of 14 Lagos Mainland branches of i-Fitness for sporting activities, including football, 100-metre and 200-metre races, sack races and other games.

Ogunwale said the first edition, held earlier in the year, involved the company’s Lagos Island branches, adding that plans were underway to bring both Island and Mainland branches together in a larger competition next year.

He disclosed that i-Fitness, which currently operates about 25 branches across Lagos, also plans to extend the Game Fest to other locations, including Abuja and Port Harcourt, as its expansion continues.

Explaining the motive behind the initiative, he said the company was established 11 years ago to address the limited availability and high cost of fitness facilities in Nigeria, particularly for people on average incomes.

He said the goal was to make gym membership affordable and transform fitness from an occasional activity into a sustainable lifestyle.

“Health and fitness are our personal responsibilities. No matter how wealthy or successful we become, we cannot delegate our health to someone else. We must make time for it,” he said.

Also, head, Corporate Sales and Partnerships, i-Fitness, Mr. Derek Nwafor, said regular physical activity was associated with longevity and could reduce the risk of premature death from various causes.

He said exercise and strength training were particularly important in preventing or slowing sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass, which could affect mobility and physical independence.

Nwafor explained that muscle mass generally begins to decline from around age 30, making regular exercise important for maintaining strength, supporting bone health and improving cardiovascular fitness as people grow older.

He added that physical activity could also improve blood sugar regulation and help reduce the risk of chronic conditions, including diabetes and hypertension.

Nwafor urged Nigerians to incorporate simple activities such as walking, running and strength training into their daily routines, stressing that fitness did not have to involve expensive facilities or strenuous exercise.

On workplace wellness, he said i-Fitness was partnering with organisations and Health Maintenance Organisations (HMO) to provide employees with gym memberships and programmes that encourage physical activity.

For participants, the event offered an opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of making fitness a regular habit.

A fitness enthusiast at the Ikeja GRA branch, Alma Oputa, said more than three years of regular workouts had improved her strength, endurance and overall physical well being.

She said returning to sprinting during the competition was relatively easy despite not having participated in the event for some time, attributing her performance to the consistency of her gym routine.

Similarly, another participant, Delight Bekee, described the Game Fest as an opportunity to promote sports, healthy competition and community participation.

Bekee, who said he had been involved in sports since childhood, encouraged more Nigerians to embrace physical activity for its physical and mental health benefits.

The Game Fest attracted thousands of registered participants and brought together members of different branches in a celebration of sports, fitness and healthy living.